CONFIDENTIAL's had a snifter of something new and exciting. No, it’s not the brand new scent of Gordo’s unused office expenses card, it’s something so new it's not even a thing yet, but merely a whisper of a thing. And we’re excited about it because we think it’s actually going to end up being such a big thing, we want to follow the story now and do a massive ‘we told you so’ when it does.
Samuel is understated and difficult to track down...
Right now, Where The Light Gets In, a new restaurant-to-be, is merely a building site. An empty room filled with dust, tools and rubble bags. It will be owner and Head Chef Samuel Buckley’s first restaurant and he’s building it from scratch and by hand with very little but his background to support him.
Buckley started his career with Gary Rhodes before moving to Juniper, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Altrincham, with Paul Kitching. Since then he has worked under Simon Rogan at L’Enclume, around the time they got their second star, where he learnt how important details other than just the food were; from the electrics to the ceramics.
A long stint travelling around India and Asia gave him a keen respect and understanding for the resourcefulness of preservation techniques used in such climates. Although he rarely cooks with Asian ingredients, he takes from the old and well versed techniques of cooking that he was exposed to there.
Buckley is understated and difficult to track down. Apart from a few arty progress shots on Instagram, he can’t be found on social media. Our spidey senses started twitching after he headed a workshop on behalf of NOMA’s community-built pub The Pilcrow helping to develop the experimental bar snacks that’ll be on offer there. He got involved with that project because he shares their ideals about awakening old and traditional crafts.
WTLGI is currently little more than dust, tools and rubble bags
Buckley (left) helps Pilcrow volunteers (image credit: Dima Kalenda)
He has decided to build and launch his own restaurant in the old market town of Stockport, a place where there is a distinct lack of night life with not many restaurants nearby at all. By the end of August, the space on Market Place (opposite the Market Hall), which has had previous incarnations as an old coffee storage warehouse and a 1930’s dance hall, will open as Where The Light Gets In, a 25 seat restaurant focused on showcasing predominantly local ingredients and alternative cooking techniques.
In his typically understated way, Buckley told us (after we eventually tracked him down via radar) “The area by night is incredibly picturesque, but the main reason we chose a site a little out of the way of the burgeoning Manchester food scene is because we wanted somewhere quiet where we could work on our craft. Where we have the space to grow and evolve without being affected by city centre trends or over saturation. We hope that people will make the small journey out to experience our ideas and approaches to dining and go away feeling that it was worth it.”
Manchester Veg People, relatively nearby, have an urban farm scheme set up with Glebelands Farm Trust, and Buckley plans to work closely with them to rediscover heritage varieties and the best methods to grow them in order to achieve strong and unique produce. The menu will be influenced by what comes out of the ground on any particular day. Once the day is over, that food is gone, so the next day they start again.
“The next three months are a new journey,” added Buckley, “learning new skills completely detached from cooking. Friends who have inspired me throughout my life involve themselves to make this a special place.” Luckily, his partner is an architect, helping with building regs, and he has engaged the talents of his designer friends; furniture makers, ceramicists, photographers, light designers, graphic designers and sommeliers. “It’s a ridiculously difficult way to start your first restaurant, but I’m a bit of a control freak like that. There’s a lot to do” says Buckley who is building everything from the kitchen to the pot wash from scratch.
Fortune (as in luck, not money) and passion brings them all together to create a place where the light gets in.
Keep an eye on Facebook and @arestaurantwherethelightgetsin for updates.
